Red carpet heats up at Emmys; ‘Mad Men’ eyes win

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The competition promised to be hot at the Emmy Awards and so was Los Angeles, where it was in the 90s.

“It’s so warm I thought a nice flannel tux would be appropriate,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family” joked. Of the heat, Amy Poehler said: “It’s all the star power.”

Stars arrived on the red carpet Sunday under warm skies for an Emmy Awards ceremony in which records could be set, but hearts definitely will be broken.

“Mad Men” has a chance to snare its fifth best drama award, surpassing fellow record holders “Hill Street Blues,” `’L.A. Law” and “The West Wing.”

The competition was hot and so was Los Angeles, where it was in the 90s. “It’s so warm I thought a nice flannel tux would be appropriate,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson of “Modern Family” joked. Of the heat, Amy Poehler said: “It’s all the star power.”

The red carpet was seeing plenty of red _ including on Kat Dennings in J. Mendel and Padma Lakshmi in a red strapless gown and Ginnifer Goodwin in red flame over champagne.

Padma Lakshmi looked gorgeous in a strapless, orange, mermaid-style Monique Lhullier gown, which helped her become a trending topic on Twitter. Another hot item: Zooey Deschanel, who had a manicure with little TV sets on her thumbnails.

Jon Cryer, a nominee for lead actor in a comedy series for “Two and a Half Men” didn’t anticipate winning.

“This year I’m in the lead actor category, which is Alec Baldwin, Larry David, Don Cheadle, Jim Parsons,” he said. “I’m not gonna win.”

Sofia Vergara, a nominee for best supporting actress in a comedy for “Modern Family,” waved away the tension. “Some people dread these events, I enjoy them. I love them,” she said.

“Breaking Bad” and “Homeland” are among the series that could prove spoilers for AMC’s sophisticated saga about 1960s America.

Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” has a shot at his fourth best drama actor victory, which would tie Dennis Franz’s record set in 1999 for “NYPD Blue.”

If Cranston wins, that would leave “Mad Men” star Jon Hamm and Michael C. Hall of “Dexter” out in the cold for the fifth time.

Jimmy Kimmel is host of the ceremony airing live at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC, with awards in 26 categories to be presented at the Nokia Theatre.

Former host Jimmy Fallon joked that he didn’t have a ticket to the 2012 show. “But Clint Eastwood said he was going to save me a chair,” Fallon cracked.